]]>https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/11/18/video-rockets-guard-james-hardens-addresses-defensive-issues-in-adidas-ad/feed/0141212095809-james-harden-iso-celebrates-121214-1200x672ericamblackburnVIDEO: Behind the Scenes of ESPN’s Monday Night Football Productionhttps://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/11/18/video-behind-the-scenes-of-espns-monday-night-football-production/
https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/11/18/video-behind-the-scenes-of-espns-monday-night-football-production/#respondFri, 18 Nov 2016 19:48:18 +0000http://ericaspeaksss.com/?p=1649]]>Have you always wondered how ESPN’s Monday Night Football is produced during the NFL season? Maybe you never considered it, but it’s A LOT of work and so many different components are thought out prior to kick-off. Watch the video below to see the real MVPs aren’t actually the ones on the field, but are the ones in the production truck outside the stadium.

]]>https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/11/18/video-behind-the-scenes-of-espns-monday-night-football-production/feed/0espnmondaynightfootball_4923-1240x827ericamblackburnVIDEO: The Chicks with Kicks [6k-Pair Sneak Collection]https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/11/18/video-the-chicks-with-kicks-6k-pair-sneak-collection/
https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/11/18/video-the-chicks-with-kicks-6k-pair-sneak-collection/#respondFri, 18 Nov 2016 19:29:16 +0000http://ericaspeaksss.com/?p=1643]]>These chicks are serious about their sneaks. Check out the video below where these young women share their enormous selection of sneakers. #SneakerGoals.

]]>https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/11/18/video-the-chicks-with-kicks-6k-pair-sneak-collection/feed/0screenshot5ericamblackburnDraftKings + FanDuel Will Merge After Months of Speculationhttps://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/11/18/draftkings-fanduel-will-merge-after-months-of-speculation/
https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/11/18/draftkings-fanduel-will-merge-after-months-of-speculation/#respondFri, 18 Nov 2016 19:17:09 +0000http://ericaspeaksss.com/?p=1621]]>DraftKings and FanDuel, the two market-share leaders in the ‘daily’ fantasy sports industry, have announced they will seek to merge into one company.

The two companies, which offer fantasy sports contests with daily (or weekly) drafts as a pick-up-and-play alternative to traditional season-long fantasy football, will continue to operate separately, and keep their names, until the merger is approved by regulators. That will take many months—perhaps even a full year.

The companies themselves, in a press release on Friday, said they expect the transaction to close “in the second half of 2017.”

DraftKings and FanDuel will still be separate companies with separate apps, separate CEOs, and separate headquarters.

After the merge (if regulators let it go through), the company will be co-headquartered in Boston and New York. DraftKings co-founder and CEO Jason Robins will be CEO, while FanDuel co-founder and CEO Nigel Eccles will be chairman of the board. Each company’s investors will get three board seats, so the overall board will be comprised of four DraftKings seats (including Robins), four FanDuel seats (including Eccles), and one independent seat.

Read the press release below:

[November 18, 2016] – Boston and New York – Fantasy sports technology companies DraftKings and FanDuel today announced they have entered into a merger agreement. The transaction is expected to close in 2017. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The merger of FanDuel and DraftKings, which offer daily, weekly and season-long sports fantasy contests, will bring together two fantasy sports innovators to better serve consumers. The operational efficiencies and cost savings that are expected to result from the merger will drive a greater focus on developing new products and features, including more variety in contest formats, loyalty programs, enhanced social functionality and ancillary sports-oriented content and experiences, all aimed at creating a more diverse, exciting and appealing experience for fantasy sports players and all sports fans. The merger will also help the combined company accelerate its path to profitability.

The combined company will be able to invest in strategic partnerships across the sports ecosystem. Media, advertising and other partners will benefit from access to more products and customers as a result of DraftKings and FanDuel’s diverse user base and league relationships, as well as increased investment in advertising. Together, the combined entity can accelerate growth of the fantasy sports category, drive broader and deeper fan engagement, and more efficiently reach those players.

“We have always been passionate about providing the best possible experience for our customers and this merger will help advance our goal of building a transformational global sports entertainment platform,” said DraftKings CEO Jason Robins. “Joining forces will allow us to truly realize the potential of our vision, and as a combined company we will be able to accelerate the pace of innovation and bring a richer experience to our customers than we ever could have done separately.”

Both FanDuel and DraftKings are still relatively new companies and operate in a rapidly evolving and changing space. By combining and streamlining resources, DraftKings and FanDuel can accelerate work with government officials to continue to develop a standard regulatory framework. This framework will not only make it easier for the combined entity to thrive in the long-term, but will provide certainty and encourage other companies to make significant investments in the fantasy sports industry. Emerging fantasy sports categories like daily fantasy sports are just one component of a broader industry that has significant potential for sustained growth. Currently, there are 228 million fans of major sports in the U.S. and 57 million fantasy players.

“Being able to combine DraftKings and FanDuel presents a tremendous opportunity for us to further innovate and disrupt the sports industry,” said FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles. “While both companies have accomplished much already, this transaction will create a business that can offer a greater variety of offerings, appealing to new users, including the tens of millions of season-long fantasy players that haven’t yet tried our products.”

At closing, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins will become CEO of the newly combined company and FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles will become Chairman of the Board. In addition to the Chairman 2 and CEO, the Board will be composed of three directors from DraftKings, three directors from FanDuel and one independent director.

The company will be co-headquartered in New York and Boston.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

About DraftKings

DraftKings is an innovative sports-tech entertainment platform changing the way consumers engage with their favorite sports, teams and athletes worldwide. DraftKings, headquartered in Boston, MA, with offices in New York and London, offers daily and weekly fantasy sports contests across ten professional sports in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom. Founded in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman, DraftKings is the exclusive daily fantasy sports partner of Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Hockey League, NASCAR and the Canadian Football League.

About FanDuel

Founded in 2009, FanDuel has redefined fantasy sports in pursuit of its mission of making sports more exciting. FanDuel offers a multitude of one-day, weekly and season-long game options for NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and the EPL, with new public and private leagues forming daily, ranging in size from two to thousands of players. FanDuel is the Official Partner of the NBA and has multiple deals with NFL and NBA teams, driving fan engagement, hosting numerous live events and creating once-in- a-lifetime experiences for sports fans throughout the year. Founded by Nigel Eccles, Lesley Eccles, Tom Griffiths, Rob Jones, and Chris Stafford, FanDuel is based in New York City with offices in Los Angeles, Orlando, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. FanDuel has raised funding from KKR, Google Capital, Time Warner/Turner Sports, Shamrock Capital, NBC Sports Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Pentech Ventures, Piton Capital and Bullpen Capital.

]]>https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/11/18/draftkings-fanduel-will-merge-after-months-of-speculation/feed/0draftkings-fanduel-lawsuitericamblackburnBiographer Roland Lazenby To Release Book About Kobe Bryant’s Lifehttps://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/10/23/biographer-roland-lazenby-to-release-book-about-kobe-bryants-life/
https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/10/23/biographer-roland-lazenby-to-release-book-about-kobe-bryants-life/#respondSun, 23 Oct 2016 18:51:59 +0000http://ericaspeaksss.com/?p=1673]]>What made Kobe Bryant the gut-wrenching, stone-cold assassin for 20 years on the basketball court? What drove him to be one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history? Bryant is one of basketball’s greatest players, a fascinating and complicated character.

The biography, Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant, chronicles Joe Bryant, Kobe’s father, professional basketball life, starting a family with Pam Bryant, and even the story behind Kobe Bryant’s name. The book also goes into “the Mamba” himself, starting from his distinct childhood in Italy to his championship glory (and agonies) in Los Angeles.

Roland Lazenby masterfully dissects the life and times of this generation’s most complex & riveting basketball player, combining fierce reporting and intimate storytelling to paint the picture of Bryant’s successes, failures, and rough patches.

]]>https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/10/23/biographer-roland-lazenby-to-release-book-about-kobe-bryants-life/feed/0artworks-000187913432-k99seo-t500x500ericamblackburnUniversity of Washington Football Players to Test High-Tech Helmet from Vicishttps://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/07/19/university-of-washington-football-players-to-test-high-tech-helmet-from-vicis/
https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/07/19/university-of-washington-football-players-to-test-high-tech-helmet-from-vicis/#respondTue, 19 Jul 2016 15:46:48 +0000http://ericaspeaksss.com/?p=1610]]>The University of Washington football team will be one of the first to try out Vicis’ innovative new helmet, The Seattle Times reported.

Vicis, founded in Seattle two years ago, has developed a helmet that provides more protection against skull fracture, traumatic brain injury, and concussion than the traditional helmet used by athletes today, according to the company. The helmet differentiates from other available options because of a unique outer shell material that is designed to mitigate the forces thought to cause concussions on the football field and in other contact sports.

Now Vicis is ready for teams to wear its ZERO1 helmet, which retails at $1,500 each. A Vicis spokesperson confirmed with GeekWire that the UW will test the helmets this season, but didn’t provide details on the other teams using the helmet.

The company previously told GeekWire that around 25 NFL and 30 NCAA teams have expressed interest in testing the helmet for the 2016 season.

]]>https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/07/19/university-of-washington-football-players-to-test-high-tech-helmet-from-vicis/feed/0University of Washington vs University of California NCAA FootballericamblackburnScreen-Shot-2016-01-11-at-9.43.19-AM-630x488.pngNike File Augmented Reality Patentshttps://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/07/19/nike-file-augmented-reality-patents/
https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/07/19/nike-file-augmented-reality-patents/#respondTue, 19 Jul 2016 15:33:09 +0000http://ericaspeaksss.com/?p=1600]]>According to patent filings made public recently, Apple (AAPL) and Nike (NKE) each have their own augmented reality (AR) features in the works.

According to Nike’s July 5 patent, which is a continuation of a previous filing, its augmented reality design system “allows a user to create a design for an article in real time using a proxy,” as the illustration above indicates.

Basically, users could use the software to design their own custom shoes in holographic fashion, using what appears to be a Google Glass-style headset.

This isn’t the only instance of Nike delving into 3D technology. The Swoosh announced last October at its 2015 investor day that in partnership with DreamWorks Animation’s (DWA) Nova, it is developing a 3D digital design system that will be capable of “nearly instantaneous digital print applications, photo-real 3D visualizations and ultrarapid prototyping.”

]]>https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/07/19/asics-gel-lyte-iii-x-villa-x-wale-intercontinental-champion/feed/0waleericamblackburnwale.jpgDrake’s Solid Gold OVO x Air Jordan 10’shttps://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/07/19/drakes-solid-gold-ovo-x-air-jordan-10s/
https://ericaspeaksss.com/2016/07/19/drakes-solid-gold-ovo-x-air-jordan-10s/#respondTue, 19 Jul 2016 15:18:46 +0000http://ericaspeaksss.com/?p=1584]]>Drake took to Instagram to tease a pair of solid gold OVO x Air Jordan 10 sneakers that the artist has produced for him. The pair of solid gold sneakers weights over “100 pounds” according to Drake and features every little detail that the original does.

Limited to 200 pairs, La MJC’s “All Gone” 2014 Diadora N900 is releasing on July 23 exclusively at the Club 75 flagship store, located at 32 rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris. The remaining pairs, if any, will then become available the following day online.